Packging Machine Provided With Variable-Inclination Work and Load Surface

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a packaging machine provided with variable-inclination work and load surface ( 7 ), designed in such a way that the same packaging machine can be used to pack both stable products by means of lateral pushing means ( 3 ) and loose products by means of loading devices ( 10 ) from above.

The present patent application relates to a packaging machine provided with variable-inclination work and load surface.

In the sector of machines used for the automatic packaging of products in cardboard boxes, a type of packaging machine is used to introduce the products to be packed in cardboard boxes formed of either pre-glued or open cardboard pieces in such a way to obtain parallelepiped boxes, whose heads are closed by gluing the edges or by means of a tongue.

The models of machines that use pre-glued cardboard pieces produce boxes starting from cartons initially having a two-dimensional flattened configuration; the said cartons are orderly loaded in a storage compartment positioned in the machine, from which they are picked one by one and opened to obtain a box with a traditional parallelepiped shape.

The models of machines that use flattened cardboard pieces produce boxes starting from cartons orderly loaded in a storage compartment positioned in the machine, from which they are picked one by one and punched to obtain a box with a traditional parallelepiped shape. The different models of packaging machines can be divided into the main groups:

-   -   machines with horizontal product loading     -   machines with vertical product loading.

Another classification can be made between machines with intermittent box feeding and machines with continuous box feeding:

-   -   in the first type of machines the box is momentarily stopped         during loading (intermittent feeding)     -   in the second type of machines the product is loaded while the         box moves forward (continuous feeding).

In packaging machines with horizontal loading, after they are opened, the boxes are moved along transport means consisting in belts or chains with closed circuit, which move in a parallel direction side by side with the feeding line of the products to be packed, which are normally loaded and transported in drawers fixed to one or two drag chains with closed circuit.

More precisely, after it is opened, each box is moved forward while lying down, with the mouth opposite the chain of drawers with the product to be packed.

The product to be packed is moved from the drawer to the box by means of suitable devices designed to move the product inside the box, according to a horizontal direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the boxes.

Finally, the edges of the mouths of each box are folded and closed, either by means of a tongue or by gluing.

As mentioned earlier, in packaging machines with intermittent feeding the product is transferred from the drawer to the box during a simultaneous stop of boxes and drawers, while in models with continuous feeding the product is transferred from the drawer to the box while moving, that is to say without stopping the box or the drawer with the product to be packed.

Continuous feeding is used when high speed is needed.

Packaging machines with horizontal loading, either with intermittent or continuous feeding, can only be used for products that maintain stable balance inside the box, such as soap bars, while they are not suitable for loose products, such as sweets, since problems would occur during introduction and most of all during withdrawal of the pushing means, when the sweets would tend to slip outside the mouth of the box, when they are no longer pressed and supported.

This type of loose products needs to be packed with packaging machines with vertical loading.

In machines with vertical loading, the boxes are moved forward in vertical position under one or more loading stations, which may include a hopper through which the product to be packed is introduced in the box from above, by falling or by means of suitable manipulators.

In view of the above, those who need to pack products in cartons are forced to use packaging machines with horizontal loading to pack stable products and packaging machines with vertical loading to pack loose or otherwise unstable products.

This consideration has led to the development of the present invention, which provides a packaging machine with variable-inclination load surface, in such a way that it can be adapted to the type of product to be packed, starting from a minimum angle of zero degrees with respect to the ground, which corresponds to a horizontal loading surface, to a maximum inclination angle of forty-five degrees with respect to the ground, so that the same packaging machine can be used to pack both stable products by means of lateral pushing means and loose products by means of loading devices from above.

These purposes are achieved by the packaging machine of the invention, whose characteristics are illustrated in detail in the first claim.

More precisely, the structure of the packaging machine of the invention is similar to the packaging machines with horizontal loading of known type, which are characterised by the so-called “balcony” configuration, due to the fact that the operating units used to manipulate the cartons are supported in projecting position on the front of a support frame with vertical development, with rigidly and irremovably projects from a support base for ground stabilisation.

The same base supports the support and movement means of the train of drawers that transport the product to be packed; the said support and movement means rest on the base in parallel position opposite the means used to transport the boxes.

For the sake of brevity and convenience, the support plane with vertical development is hereinafter defined as “bearing panel”.

The present innovation is based on the inventive idea of using the bearing panel to support the means used to manipulate the boxes and the means used to transport the product to be packed, with the possibility of backward inclination, by hinging the said bearing panel to the base with respect to a horizontal axis parallel to the movement direction of boxes and product-holding drawers.

When the bearing panel is in vertical position, the boxes lie in horizontal position with the mouth on a vertical plane aligned with the product-holding drawers.

When the bearing panel is tilted backwards, the loading plane of the boxes is brought in tilted position towards the back of the machine, with the same inclination as the overturning angle of the panel.

In this way, the mouth of the box is positioned according to a tilted plane parallel to the plane of the panel, and therefore, by giving the suitable inclination to the panel, the risk of spilling the products out of the mouth of the box after introduction can be prevented, as it would otherwise occur in the case of loose unstable products, such as sweets or bags.

The machine of the invention is naturally provided with suitable actuators, preferably consisting in jacks or endless screws, designed to overturn the bearing panel according to the desired angle.

Ultimately, it must be noted that the packaging machine of the invention allows to pack a wide range of products that would require using two different types of packaging machines according to the types of machines that are currently available on the market.

Moreover, the adoption of a variable-inclination load surface favours the feeding and introduction of the product to be packed into the box; finally, it must be noted that this inventive solution may be applied both on machines with intermittent feeding and machines with continuous feeding, and both on models of machines that use pre-glued cardboard pieces and models of machines that use flattened cardboard pieces.

For purposes of clarity the description of the packaging machine of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a packaging machine of known type with horizontal loading and intermittent feeding;

FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of a packaging machine of known type with horizontal loading and continuous feeding;

FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a packaging machine of known type with vertical loading;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an entire packaging machine of known type with horizontal feeding;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan of the machine of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic front view of the machine of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of the machine of the invention;

FIG. 8 is the same as FIG. 7, showing the variable-inclination panel with zero degree inclination, which corresponds to a perfectly horizontal loading surface;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the machine of the invention, showing the variable-inclination panel with twenty degree inclination;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the machine of the invention, showing the variable-inclination panel with forty-five inclination;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the machine of the invention in an alternative constructive embodiment.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 shows a machine with horizontal loading, in which, after being opened and given the correct parallelepiped volume, the boxes (1) are conveyed and moved along a parallel path side by side with the feeding line of the products (P) to be packed, which are normally contained in transport drawers (2) fitted to a drag chain (2 a) with closed circuit.

More precisely, each box (1) is moved forward while lying down on its side, in such a way that the mouth (1 a) is in opposite position with respect to the train of drawers (2) used to feed the products to be packed.

The product (P) to be packed is transferred from the transport drawer (2) to the box (1) by means of suitable pushing devices (3) designed to introduce and push the product (P) into the box (1), according to a horizontal loading direction (F) orthogonal to the mutually parallel movement directions (F1 and F2) of the boxes (1) and product-holding drawers (2), respectively.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the main components of a packaging machine with horizontal loading of known type are:

-   -   storage compartment (4) of the boxes (1), where the boxes are         open on both bottom edges and have a two-dimensional flattened         configuration;     -   operative unit (5) designed to pick a cardboard piece at a time         from the storage compartment (4), open the box (being of known         type, this operation is not shown in detail) and give it a         parallelepiped volume, while simultaneously conveying the box         towards the means used to transport the boxes (1);     -   transport means (6) of the boxes (1) along a forward direction         (F1);     -   transport means (2) of the products (P) along a forward         direction (F2) parallel and side by side with the aforementioned         forward direction (F1);     -   pushing means (3) used to introduce the products (P) into the         mouth (1 a) of each box (1);     -   closing means of the edges and tongues that form the bottoms (1         b) of each box (1);     -   motor units with relevant driving units (T);     -   cabinet (A) used to contain the electrical components and PLC;     -   bearing base (8) designed to support the entire machine.

The structure of the packaging machine of the invention is similar to the packaging machines with horizontal loading of known type, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, which are characterised by the so-called “balcony” configuration, due to the fact that the operating units used to manipulate the boxes (1) are supported in projecting position on the front of a single vertical support frame (7), which can be considered as a vertical bearing panel that protrudes from the said base (8).

As in the packaging machines of known type, the bearing panel (7) of the machine of the invention supports at least, either directly or indirectly:

-   -   said storage compartment (4);     -   said unit (5);     -   said transport means (6);     -   said closing means of the bottoms (1 b) of the boxes (1);     -   said motor units with relevant driving units (T);

The peculiarity of the machine of the invention consists in the fact that the panel (7) also supports the transport means (2), with the possibility of tilting the said bearing panel (7) backwards with respect to the base (8), in such a way that when the panel (7) is tilted backwards by a certain angle starting from the perfectly vertical natural position, the operative units of the machines connected to it are rotated with respect to the axis X-X by the same angle.

In other words, the bearing panel (7) is pivoted to the base (8) in such a way that it can be tilted backwards from a vertical position, rotating around a horizontal axis X-X parallel to the forward direction (F2) of the boxes (1).

When the bearing panel (7) is maintained in vertical position, the work and load surface has a horizontal direction (PO), as shown in FIG. 8.

In FIGS. 9 and 10 the load direction (P) is tilted towards the back of the machine by 20° and 45°, respectively, with respect to the base.

Also the mouth (1 a) of the box (1) is tilted backwards by 20° and 45°, thus preventing the products (P) introduced in the box (1) from falling or spilling out of the box (1).

In view of the above, and also with reference to the enclosed figures, the machine of the invention can be used to pack any type of products, from solid products, such as soap bars, to unstable products, such as groups of bags, or loose products, such as sweets, being evident that the higher is the tendency of the product (P) to spill from the mouth of the box, the higher the inclination angle given to the bearing panel (7) will be.

Moreover, the machine of the invention can be equipped with typical means (10) used to load the product from above, consisting in one or more hoppers, whose unloading mouth (10 a) is aligned with the mouth of the box (1) below, when the panel (7) is tilted backwards, as shown in FIG. 10.

Evidently, the said loading means (10) from above are designed to be used alternatively to the loading means (3) when necessary.

FIG. 11 shows an alternative constructive embodiment of the machine of the invention, in which the transport means (2) of the products (P) are positioned and fitted onto the base (8), in such a way that their inclination is not changed when the panel (7) is overturned backwards.

According to this embodiment, the use of the means (10) to load the product from above (in case of loose or unstable products) is mandatory, since the said means (10) are the only means used when the panel (7) is tilted backwards, while the pushing means (3) are used for the perfectly horizontal loading of the products (solid and stable products). 

1. Packaging machine provided with variable-inclination work and load surface, of the type comprising: a—a storage compartment (4) of the boxes (1), where the boxes are open on both bottom edges and have a two-dimensional flattened configuration; b—an operative unit (5) designed to pick a box at a time from the storage compartment (4), open the box and give it a parallelepiped volume, while conveying the box towards the means used to transport the boxes (1); c—transportation means (6) of the boxes (1) along a forward direction (F1); d—transport means (2) of the products (P) along a forward direction (F2) parallel and side by side with the aforementioned forward direction (F1); e—pushing means (3) designed to introduce the products (P) into the mouth (1 a) of each box (1) according to a transfer direction orthogonal to the forward direction (F2) of the transport means (2); f—closing means of the edges and tongues that form the bottoms (1 b) of each box (1); g—motor units with relevant driving units (T); h—a cabinet (A) used to contain the electrical components and PLC; i—a bearing base (8); l—a bearing panel (7) that protrudes from the base (8) and supports, in protruding position, either directly or indirectly, at least the said storage (4), operative unit (5), transport means (6), closing means of the edges (1 b), motor units and relevant driving units (T); machine characterized in that the bearing panel (7) is hinged to the base (8), in such a way that it oscillates by means of actuators (9) around a horizontal axis (X-X) parallel to forward direction (F1) of the said transport means (6).
 2. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the panel (7) also supports the transport means (2) in projecting position.
 3. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (10) to load the product from above, consisting in one or more hoppers, whose unloading mouth (10 a) is aligned with the mouth of the box (1) below when the panel (7) is tilted backwards.
 4. Machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that it comprises servomechanisms of known type designed to automatically adjust the position of the said loading means (10) according to the inclination angle given to the panel (7), in such a way that the unloading mouth (10 a) is positioned above the mouth of the box (1) below.
 5. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transport means (2) of the products (P) are positioned and fitted onto the base (8). 